RADICAL preacher Anjem Choudary has insisted that he would go and live under the so-called Islamic State (IS) if the UK Government gave him back his passport and granted him safe passage.

Mr Choudary told The Times that he would be prepared to renounce his British citizenship and travel out to Syria or Iraq to live under the jihadi regime.

The cleric's passport was seized by British authorities in September after he was arrested on suspicion of encouraging terrorism.

He was released on strict bail conditions but denies any wrongdoing and claims that his arrest was politically motivated since it was the day before a Parliamentary vote on military strikes against IS.

Mr Choudary is an advocate of Sharia law and said that he supports public executions and the cutting off of hands for anyone who insults the Prophet Muhammad.

The 47-year-old said that he would consider renouncing Britain citizenship "as a last resort" if it guaranteed that he could travel safely to a jihadi-controlled area.

He said: “I believe the world belongs to God and that one day, hopefully, the UK will be part of an Islamic State.

"Why shouldn’t I be free to travel to the khilafah [caliphate] and see what life is like under the Sharia?

“The passport…is a basic human right and I don’t see why I should have to give it up or have my movement restricted.

"I want to know from the Home Office and the crown prosecution service if it is illegal for me to travel to live in the Islamic State if I have no intention of carrying out acts of terrorism.”

GETTY

The cleric advocates Sharia law

Mr Choudary denied being in contact with any IS members but said that the Crown Prosecution Service should "make themselves clear" over whether people who travel to Iraq and Syria could be prosecuted.

Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, said last night: “If he wants to go, he should be allowed to go. I think that would be a much better scenario than having him stay.

“Why should the Home Office or anyone else give him safe passage?

"He must take the consequences if he is propagating the views of Isis, then he is putting himself at risk of prosecution.

"I think people would like to see the back of him.”

Comments Unavailable

Sorry, we are unable to accept comments about this article
at the moment. However, you will find some great articles
which you can comment on right now in our
Comment section.